0
DorisPao Posted 11 years ago
Grammar

Tense agreement with the subjunctive

Hello everyone!

I am speculating about the time now (not in the past):

"If I were to meet someone who HAD been living here for years and still didn't know a word of English, I would be surprised".

"If I met someone who HAD been living here for years and still didn't know a word of English, I would be surprised".

Is my use of past perfect correct? That is, it shouldn't be "who HAS been living here"? In my opinion, because all the verbs get switched to the past in the subjunctive construction (e.g. "didn't know a word…"), logically perfect continuous should also be converted to past perfect.

Can someone confirm this for me?

Thank you!

Doris.
  

Top answer

DorisPao Is my use of past perfect correct? Yes. Your use of the past perfect in those sentences is normal and natural.

  • DorisPao Is my use of past perfect correct?
  • Yes.
  • Your use of the past perfect in those sentences is normal and natural.
  • CJ
Free · every Monday

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.

2 Answers
0
DorisPaoIs my use of past perfect correct?
Yes. Your use of the past perfect in those sentences is normal and natural.

CJ
0
Thank you so much, CJ!

Related Questions